Rhythms
by fireseal
Summary: Cagalli gets stranded in the rain. Guess who comes along to save the day?
1. Chapter 1

**Timeframe: Post-Seed, a little before the events of GSD.  
Summary: Cagalli gets caught in the rain. Guess who comes along to save the day?**

A low rumble growled threateningly from above. Without another warning, sheets of rainfall came pelting down, blanketing an unsuspecting Cagalli.

She lifted her head to scowl at the sky before ducking under the shade of the nearest shop. "I should have watched the weather channel," she grumbled bitterly, leaning against the wall and folding her arms around herself to provide some insulation. "Or someone _could_'ve warned me that it was going to rain." But of course no one would. Seeking some reprieve from the ocean of papers that awaited her on her desk, Cagalli had changed out of her uniform and threw on some civilian clothing, and then she'd snuck out for some fresh air. No sooner had she gone out when the deluge caught up with her.

Wind tore mercilessly at her, lashing her with more water, and leaving her feeling colder than ever. She shivered, still muttering sullenly to herself. She was beginning to regret ever going out now, wishing that she'd informed someone about her plans before gallivanting off.

But _nooo_, she just _had_ to go out, perfectly unaware of the impending meteorological peril that lay in advent.

Cagalli hated the cold, preferring the desert heat to... to _this_. Admittedly, the nights were cold, but at least she was safe and dry...

Images of her misadventures with Ahmed two years ago reeled in her head. In her distraction, she didn't notice that a shadow had fallen over her, and that the rain wasn't hitting her as much anymore.

"You really shouldn't go out by yourself, Representative Attha. It's _dangerous_."

Amber eyes flicked up to glower at the newcomer--a young man with dark hair that framed a face that was lit in mellow amusement. His hand was curled around the handle of an umbrella that hovered above both of them.

"You're late," Cagalli chided through chattering teeth. "What _are_ you doing here, anyway? I told you to take the rest of the night off."

He shrugged self-consciously, a slight flush tinting his cheeks subtly. "I'm your bodyguard, remember? It's my job. Here, hold this for a moment."

She puzzled over his expression, but took the umbrella. Her fingers had become a little numb, and she was still trembling, much to her agitation. She was willing her body to still itself when she felt a warm weight thrown over her shoulders, after which the umbrella was gently tugged off her grasp.

"You need it more than I do," he explained when she looked questioningly at him.

She seized the black fabric of Athrun's jacket, and pulled it tighter around herself. "Thanks," she mumbled.

And then an arm swung about her waist. The sudden movement made her teeter off-balance, and her face collided with his green shirt with a muffled "oof!".

"Let's go."

Cagalli nodded, letting him steer her. Squishing noises accompanied her every step. Water had sloshed into her shoes, and her socks were hopelessly soaked. She winced at the uncomfortable feeling of her clothes clinging heavily to her skin. Trying to ignore her discomfort, she pressed herself closer to Athrun, sighing as she buried her nose in the veil of green cotton, and the warmth that radiated beneath it. And then she heard it--his heartbeat. Strong and steady... Like the rainfall. Like... Like...

_Like Athrun._ She mused tiredly, losing herself in its rhythm. It was beginning to pound faster, faster, faster still. Distantly, she heard someone calling her name. But why?

"--galli!" Athrun's voice shuttered in her ear, his voice taking an urgent tone. "Are you alright? Hey! Caga--"

She felt her limbs weaken. And then the calls, the rhythms were gone, replaced by the echoes of silence.

_A/N: Endings are so troublesome. Here's to hoping my attention doesn't die out and I put up a next chapter. Criticisms? Open-fire away. XD_


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: Rhythms  
Chapter: Two  
Series: Gundam Seed (Destiny)  
Timeframe: Post-Seed, a little before the events of GSD.**

_Where in the world am I?_ she wondered, trying to sit up and instantly regretting it as her body refused to obey her. The most she could do was to lift her head a few inches from the pillow and survey her surroundings.

It wasn't so unfamiliar, after all. She _knew_ this place, but couldn't quite remember what it was. Then again, that was probably because it was dark and she could barely make out anything except for the ceiling and the floor--and the figure that was slumped over at the side of the bed.

_...Athrun?_

Then she remembered. Getting caught in the rain, wearing Athrun's jacket, Athrun's green shirt, Athrun's rhythmic hearbeat...

_Oh my God, Athrun!_

What was he doing there? Was he breathing? What if he'd gotten sick and died?  
Frantically, Cagalli wrestled with the thick blankets, and found herself battling through layer after layer.

"You okay?"

She blinked. Apparently, her panicked movements had roused him. _But at least he's alive._ "Yeah... _Yeah._ Did I wake you up? Sorry, I thought you were--"

She was interrupted by the feel of his palm on her forehead. "How are you feeling?" he asked, a concerned frown creasing his features as he withdrew his hand.

"I'm fine," she snapped, thrusting the last of the blankets away and pushing herself to sit up--only to discover that both her shirt and her much-beloved cargo pants have disappeared. _What the--_

Athrun's head reflexively whipped away, and she hastily seized one of the blankets and tugged it up defensively.

"Your clothes were soaked," he mumbled apologetically. "You would've gotten worse if you'd left them on. Wait a sec, I'll look for something that will cover you."

She watched him exit the room, trying to ignore the chill that enveloped her, now that she was deprived of the insulating protection of blankets. That, and the fact that she was clad only in her underclothes.

A thin line of light streamed through the narrow opening of the door. Cagalli gazed ruefully at it, guilty and annoyed at herself for being so burdensome. She silently swore to hire an official meteorologist as she got back. Never again would she venture out unprepared, and fall prey to such embarassing circumstances.

There was a creak as the door admitted Athrun, followed by a soft click as he slid it close.

He tossed her a shirt and tactfully turned away. "It's not much," he was saying, "but it should do for now."

She pulled it over her head consciously. It felt weird--wearing a man's shirt and almost nothing underneath it--but it was strangely comfortable. It smelled vaguely like Athrun (or maybe Athrun smelled like it, whichever).

She swung her legs over to the edge of her bed, and stood up. The shirt fell loosely around her slim frame, reaching her mid-thighs and hiding her feminine curves.

The floor felt cold and hard beneath her bare feet, but she traversed over it, making slow and quiet steps towards Athrun. Her legs wobbled with sheer exhaustion, but she stubbornly forced them to keep moving. She grinned when she finally reached her destination, like a child who'd just learned how to walk.

"Hey, Athrun?" 

"Eh?" Athrun spun, the look of startlement still fresh in his face. "Cagalli! When did you..?"

Cagalli frowned at him skeptically. "Are you sure you're a Coordinator? And I thought _bodyguards_ were supposed to be on guard at all times."

"S-sorry," he sputtered out, "I was just thinking..."

She raised a finger to his lips to silence him. "This is _my_ fault, isn't it? Look, I'm really, really, _really_ sorry for all the trouble--"

"It's _really_ okay..."

"--I know I'm destroying your sleep cycle and all, and I can't apologize enough for it--"

"Cagalli..."

"--I promise I'll check for the weather the next time I go out!--"

"Don't worry about it..."

"--if there's anything I can do to make up for it--"

"How about going to bed?"

Her litany came at a full stop. She scowled at him. "I'm not a _child_, Athrun Zala. I can take care of myself."

"But you're _sick_ and you need rest," he retorted calmly, taking her by the arm. Belatedly, he added, "Representative Athha.

" She wrenched herself out of his hold before he could drag her away. "I told you, I'm--" Her words were cut off by the sudden rippling of the room. She closed her eyes for a moment and laid a palm on her forehead to steady herself.

"Hey." Worry had crept up Athrun's tone. "Are you alright?"

She shook her head. "I just felt a little dizzy, that's all." She glared at him, and hoped that he caught the dangerous glint of her eyes in the darkness. "I'm _fine_, okay?"

"No, you're not. You have a fever, and you're going to get some rest. Now."

Her eyebrow twitched at the determined finality of his tone. "Alright, alright," she grumbled grudgingly, and started walking. Each step shot out pinpricks of pain in her stiff limbs, and the persistent hammering in her head wasn't helping. She didn't complain when he moved to support her, although she abhorred every moment of her weakness. "Sorry," she muttered.

"Don't worry about it," he assured her as he helped her settle down on the bed and tucked her under the blasted blankets. "Just try to get well."

"... Just one last thing."

"Hmm?"

"What happened a while ago?"

"You fainted," came the answer. "I had to carry you here."

Her fists clenched beneath the sheets. _How much more pathetic can I get?_

"I had to lose the umbrella, too," Athrun went on, "I don't remember much, except that I was really worried about you, and that I was acting like an idiot. I think I hit someone when I threw the umbrella away so I could carry you here."

Cagalli ran her fingers through her damp hair uneasily. "You won't... tell anyone about this, will you? Not even Kira or Lacus...?"

"Not if you don't want me to," he promised, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "Now get some sleep."

_A/N 2: Frankly? I hate this, I can't believe I wrote it. I dread bastardizing either character with sheer OOC-ness and an awful end. gets killed ...And I don't have a single clue on how to do the next chapter. This is why I hate chaptered fics. ;;_


	3. Chapter 3

The soft clink of a tray being plunked down on a table, as well as the appetizing aroma of food, woke her up. 

The first thing that Cagalli noticed was that her stomach was shamelessly growling. The second was that the world was no longer spinning, that last night's killer pains had been reduced to a dull heavines on her head, and lethargic weakness in her limbs.

A small enameled cup was pushed into her hands when she sat up. "Drink."

She obeyed, tasting the herbs that laced the tea as its warmth somewhat eased the scratchiness of her throat.

"How're you feeling?" Athrun inquired, taking the empty cup. "Hungry?"

"Sort of." Cagalli's stomach chorused its wholehearted and unabashed agreement, and she blushed furiously.

Athrun failed to bite back a grin, the emeralds in his eyes glittering in muted laughter. Cagalli scowled above the noise of her hunger, although the heat never left her cheeks.

He passed her a bowl and a pair of chopsticks. _Eat me,_ the noodle soup was shrieking, stretching its steamy fingers up her nostrils to whisper more subliminal messages.

The chopsticks dove into the bowl and emerged triumphantly with their stringy prey. They froze midway to her mouth.

"Aren't _you_ eating?" Cagalli asked Athrun, trying to ignore the unrelenting cries of _Eat me!_ and the impatient roars of her digestive system.

"Don't worry about me," came the assurance. "I'm done."

Armed with that knowledge, she resumed her mission. The noodles settled into her gastric juices ecstatically. She knew; she could hear them celebrate.

- + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + -

"I just remembered," Cagalli said, when she'd finished the meal. "I have to see Yuuna later."

Athrun's expression was blank, and his voice betrayed no emotion. "I know."

She bit her lip, feeling guilty about everything. Here she was, staying the night at Athrun's place and abusing his hospitality, only to spend the rest of the afternoon with Yuuna. "I'm sorry. Maybe I can cancel--"

He shook his head. "It's alright. I understand. It's just a formality, after all." The last statement seemed to be spoken more loudly and with more emphasis than necessary.

"Yeah," she agreed feebly, "a formality." There was a pause before she went on, frustratedly, "But I want to stay here." The rest of the sentence lingered unspoken: _With you._

"We don't always get what we want, do we?" His half smile bore no traces of humor. "There are some things that we'll just have to keep wanting, always out of reach."

"What I _don't_ want is to marry him," Cagalli confessed, drawing her knees closer to herself and folding her arms around them. Marriage was a prospect that was still faraway--it was too terrible to be true--but if things went on as they did, she knew it would be inevitable. And it would be the end of all things. Both of them knew that.

"I don't want that either," Athrun murmured.

Their eyes met, caramel on green. Between their gazes were silence and suppressed longing. It was Athrun who broke the trance by telling her to take a shower so that he could drive her back after.It wasn't until the water began to drum steadily against her skin that she let the tears start falling.

- + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + -

"Do I really have to go?"

They were in Athrun's sleek black convertible now, and Cagalli was sulking in her seat.

Athrun, ever the voice of reason, just _had_ to answer, "Yeah. You still need to change into a more proper attire before you see Mr.Seiran."

She sighed. "I thought so." She was about to get out of the car when fingers caught her sleeve. She glanced questioningly back at Athrun, who was fumbling with something in his pocket. "Cagalli. Well. I, ah, just thought you should have this," he was mumbling.

Something jumped into Cagalli's palm. It was a green Haro, smaller than the rest of its kind, and it warbled the first two lines of Lacus' song. She chuckled at the Haro's mechanical mimicry of Lacus, with its stiffer timbres and more irregular tempo.

After the little serenade, the Haro started talking. Athrun averted his gaze self-consciously, his grip on the steering wheel rigid. Cagalli dropped the Haro, leaving it to bounce and roll and jump on its own as it repeated its mantra.

Her slim arms flew around Athrun's neck, locking tight. Feeling pleased and surprised at the same time, Athrun returned the embrace.

Meanwhile, the Haro was blithely announcing the words it was programmed to say. "_Athrun--_"

Their lips had found each other, and Athrun was pulling Cagalli closer to him, one hand riding up to cradle her nape, the other at her waist. Somewhere along the way, his shades were flung off.

"_Loves--_"

And it went on, for several minutes, the sighs and the kisses and the soft creaks and rustles as they shifted against the leather seat, and the race of heartbeats that pounded desperately. It was their song.

"_Cagalli!_"

But you must understand that songs and rhythms have rests. They stop.

They pulled away.  
Cagalli was sitting on Athrun's lap, breathless and flushing. Athrun's arm was still around her waist, his grasp still taut and possessive. As they recovered their breaths, the Haro filled the quiet with its high-pitched voice. "_In this--_"

"I only meant to say 'thank you'," Cagalli finally said, quite sheepishly.

"And I meant to apologize for using Lacus' song," Athrun replied with a weak grin. "I'm not very good with music, but I wanted to do something musical for you, so I asked her for help. And I made it smaller, so you can carry it around. And it has a mute button, just so... you know."

"_Quiet night--_"

"It's wonderful," she told him, picking up the singing Haro. It fluttered and vibrated on her palm. "Do you think--do you think that we can ever be... together?"

"_I'm waiting--_"

"Someday. I hope." Athrun brushed back a lock of blond hair that had fallen across her forehead. "You're still eighteen. I don't think Yuuna would ask you to marry him right now. We still have time. And maybe... things will change. Sooner or later. I can wait. I can wait for that time to come."

"_For you._"

"Well, you'd better." Cagalli retorted.

"And you'd better get going before you keep _him_ waiting," he quipped. He looked around. "You think anyone saw us? If ORB's princess was seen--"

"They won't know it's me. Not dressed like _this_." She tugged at the creased fabric of her shirt, which had survived through yesterday's downpour. "Do _you_ honestly care if Yuuna saw us here? I mean, at worst, you'll get fired. And you could always get another job."

"I want to be there for you."

She couldn't think of anything to say about that, so she didn't. Instead, she shifted her focus to the Haro. "I think I'll name it Alex. How's that sound? Or Zala."

"I think _Yzak_ would be appropriate," Athrun said, under his breath. "He'd love that." And then: "Except that he'd probably want something that screamed, 'I'm your number one fan, Lacus-sama'."

"What?"

"Nothing. You should get going."

Fin.

A/N: What a crappy way to end things. I considered making it four chapters instead of three to develop everything better, but I promised myself a trilogy so a trilogy it is. So this is kinda long and weird. Transition between scenes may be jumpy, and I'm quite sure Athrun and Cagalli were OOC. Sorry. It probably wasn't worth the wait, to those who were actually staying tuned for this installment. Oh, well. Comments and criticisms are welcome as always. Open-fire! XD

Also, if there is anyone who is wondering about the chopsticks, that's because Athrun bought Chinese take-out. So there.


End file.
